(This review was first published on Amazon.com on October 29, 2011 under user name "NotAnExpert"; re-published with minor corrections and reformatting)
First: I'm guilty in using a free downloadable copy of this book from author/publisher website :) Second: I rated it 5 stars because it was a very worthy and scary read for the most parts and it became intolerably scary on the last chapters (where Mr. Ford giving his prescription for the future), but not because I agree with every statement and prescription given.
I didn't learn much new (I have MS in engineering after all and used punch cards in college about the same time as Mr. Ford) but the concentrated presentation and accent on conflicting views of "technicians" vs. main stream economists made me to re-think my current position.
The point is (and I accept it) that technological progress accelerating and makes traditional human occupations unnecessary (no surprise here - it always was this way from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution). However, now we're getting to a point where majority of common people won't be able to find "respectable" work matching their (non-exceptional) skills. Even people with advanced degree as myself (so far I have successful career in software engineering and I'm employed now, but I don't own a business). New emerging technologies requiring re-training on ever accelerating schedule (as often as every few years and intervals are shortening) and for older guys (lets call it "advanced middle age" - something getting close to 50) it becomes increasingly challenging (this is "mother-nature" of aging) and less profitable in the view of shortening future career expectations. On the same token, those "advanced middle age" are traditionally best paid and the major "enablers" of consumer spending in our "consumer driven" economy. With income stagnation, raise in health care cost, diminishing savings, and social security in peril what is my future? A "greeter" in a Wall-Mart? Would my Master's degree will be advantage for this "position"? And who will be buying in Wall-Mart as middle class steadily disappeared? ("Blue collar" middle class already not exists outside of unionized industries, and "wight collar" jobs mostly not unionized except for public sector.)
So, the future isn't looks bright for me (as for Mr. Ford, we're on the same page here).
Now, the issue is with prescription.
Unfortunately Mr. Ford not referencing "Affluent Society" by John K. Galbraith written in 1957. Mr. Ford's recommendations is actually re-work of Mr. Galbraith ideas on unemployment compensation strategies. Yes, on the social scale this position is just slightly right from Mr. Marx (and touching shoulders with Mr. Mussolini), but what our alternatives? Some of this have been already implemented in oil-producing Golf states (I won't go for details here - just look it up). Do we want to go this rout? Is it even possible in the Global Village with huge disparity between rich and poor and with existing religious, ethnic, national, and cultural animosities within Human Race?
The Mr. Ford's prescription for preservation of "free-market" economy in it's core is prescription for it's liquidation: we need free-market not for it's own sake, but as a foundation of our liberties (as defined in the Constitution and it was defined in the Magna Carta before this) - we can control our government as long as we are NOT deriving our livelihood from it. At the point when we will live on government hand-outs (even the most generous) and we'll live by government incentives (even the most fair minded) we'll loose our independence and our liberty to control government.
It will be point of no return. Then, sooner or later, Government will control us. I don't even want to go where "Liberal Fascism" can lead us. Eugenics and forced population control (China style, with forced sterilizations, abortions, etc.) came to mind first, but this isn't the worse that can happen. (Fascism and totalitarianism are, in essence and practice, left wing social movements).
The book of Mr. Ford highlighting (it did it for me) very important issues of our modern life that can't be just dismissed. This is why I giving it 5 stars - read it.
It also showing that no obvious (or easy) solution exists and that even smart and honest people (and I do think Mr. Ford is one of them) can fail in old traps of "fascistic" and "totalitarian" (as a social and not political labeling term) thinking.
Do I know how to solve those issues?
No I don't.
Do we have any alternative to fascism in the future of our kids (the year 2089 is not that far away) and grand-kids?
I don't know. I just expect hard times ahead and bracing for the worse (but I'm NOT stockpiling amo and caned food - it won't help).
Read this book and think it through.
"The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future" by Martin Ford - book website: http://www.thelightsinthetunnel.com
Look also this post http://subjective-notes.blogspot.com/2011/12/occupy-wall-street-in-2012.html, you may find it worth discussing.
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